The Battle of Kezar – Referee Loses Control of Quakes Game

Weak refereeing prompted last night’s US Open Cup clash between San Jose and Seattle at Kezar stadium to end in skirmishes and disruption. The sight of the referee leaving the back exit to the stadium surrounded by security summed it up. San Jose lost the game 1-0.

The talk of making US soccer world class is meaningless if the standard of officiating in domestic games is comic. You could tell last night’s referee was out of his depth. Perhaps he was just having a bad night. But on many an occasion he was decidedly unsure of himself. He failed to assert his authority by not making obvious calls that were directly in front of him. He relied on his assistants running the line to flag infractions on too many occasions. His preposterous puffing out of the chest to issue yellow cards smacked of a man who had perhaps watched too many cartoons.

The players sensed this. Fractiousness and dissent came quickly. Professional soccer players expect authoritative officiating. Without it, the game quickly reverts to a state of nature – mobbing up, anger flashes, gesticulation of the unfriendly type. The tension on the field transfered to the benches and the coaches. And then to the fans. Hostile boos rained down on the referee. A smattering of plastic bottle throwing ensued after the final whistle. Thankfully, the two sets of hardcore supporters had been placed at diagonally opposite ends of the field.

Post-game, the tension could be felt in the tunnel underneath Kezar. Quakes coach Frank Yallop was at first incensed by the skirmishes at the final whistle. Strong language hung heavy. But Yallop is a pro, experienced, he’s likely seen it all before in his long career as a player and a coach. Defusing the scene, he refused to shift excuses for the loss to the officials or any other avenue – “A couple of the calls didn’t go our way. That’s being diplomatic.” He was quick to praise Seattle for their stout defense. The fact that the Quakes were playing this tense cup-tie away from their home at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara “probably made it more edgy,” said Yallop. “There’s a rivalry between us and Seattle.”